A ‘monster’: Waco man sentenced to life in prison after conviction on child sex abuse charge

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Waco man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday night for sexually abusing at least three children, including two family members.

Jurors in Waco’s 19th State District Court deliberated about four-and-a-half hours before finding Perry Dwyane Dixon, 46, guilty of continuous sexual abuse of young children.

Jurors found that Dixon abused a young boy from January 2017 to May 2020, and the boy’s younger female relative.

Dixon, who served 13 years of an 18-year prison sentence for an aggravated robbery in 1995, elected to have Judge Thomas West assess his punishment.

McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens, who called Dixon a “monster,” said justice was served with the life sentence.

“A truly evil man was sentenced to life in prison today for absolutely heinous crimes against too many children,” said Tetens, “Thankfully, he will never be paroled and never hurt another child.”

Tetens praised the diligent work of his prosecutorial team and the jury’s careful deliberations to ensure the guilty verdict. “We also thank the sweet babies that had the courage to come to court, face their abuser, and tell the truth about the atrocities he committed against them over and over again,” said the district attorney, “Justice was served today and our community is safer with this monster in prison.”

Defense attorney Darren Obenoskey declined comment after the three day trial.

“We are so proud of the survivors who testified this week to help bring the truth to light. The jury’s verdict and the life sentence that followed have ensured that no other children will fall prey to this defendant,” said Assistant District Attorney Liz Buice, who prosecuted the case with Will Hix.

Dixon faced a minimum of 25 years in prison with no parole and up to a maximum life term with no parole.

Dixon, who worked as a welder before he went to jail 975 days ago, testified that he would never harm a child or touch one in a sexual manner. “That’s what I have a wife for,” Dixon told the jury of nine women and three men.

Dixon said he is the father of five children with three different women, including one woman who was smoking crack to ease the pain of delivery when the ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital.

Dixon speculated that someone put the boy, who is now 12, up to making the allegations of abuse against him. “These days, kids will say anything,” Dixon said.

In other defense testimony Wednesday, Marsha Martie, pastor of CrossTies Ecumenical Church in Waco, testified she became a foster mother to Dixon when he was much younger and has kept in close contact with him and his family over the years.

She and Dixon both speculated that the boy was sexually abused by another man when he was just a toddler but somehow has twisted those memories into thinking Dixon abused him.

She also said she thinks the boy’s mother encouraged the boy to make up the allegations against Dixon, adding that she knows that he would not harm children in that manner.

The boy testified Tuesday that Dixon sexually abused him for years and threatened to whip him if he told anyone.

In state rebuttal testimony, a 25-year-old prison inmate testified that Dixon dated his mother when he was 8 or 9 and sexually abused him numerous times.

The man, dressed in jail garb, told the jury that he has never told anyone before Wednesday about the abuse. He clearly was uncomfortable testifying and said he couldn’t breathe and was feeling light-headed. At one point, it appeared he would throw up on the witness stand, but he didn’t.

Buice asked why he was testifying since he had never told anyone of the abuse before.

“Because he’s wrong for what he’s doing,” he said.

The girl, who is now 8, was reluctant to testify Tuesday, telling the prosecutors through tears that she just wasn’t ready to tell her story.

“It’s just hard for me because I don’t want to make (Dixon) sad,” she said. “…I really didn’t understand what he was trying to do to me… It’s hard because I just don’t want to say. I’m just not ready to talk.”

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